Commencement
March 19, 2025
Every major exam, late-night study session, quiet chapel prayer, dorm-room pizza feast, service project, and game-day celebration has led to this: On Sunday, May 4, more than 720 proud undergraduate seniors will walk across the Chiles Center stage, claim their well-earned degrees, and officially become honored University of Portland graduates and Pilot alumni.
The mid-spring undergraduate ceremony on The Bluff will cap off UP Commencement Weekend activities, which include the University’s Graduate School Commencement, the School of Nursing & Health Innovations Pinning Ceremony and the ROTC Commissioning Ceremony. The University will confer degrees on successful graduates in its schools of business, education, engineering, nursing, and College of Arts and Sciences.
During the undergraduate ceremony, the University will present honorary doctorates to three outstanding national leaders, including 2025 Commencement Speaker Michael Eric Dyson, PhD, Distinguished University Professor of African American & Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. The University’s highest honor, the Christus Magister Medal, will be awarded to Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame (see below for detailed information on UP’s 2025 commencement honorees).
“It will be our community’s great blessing to celebrate this year’s class of commencement honorees,” said University President Robert D. Kelly, PhD. “The extraordinary individuals we honor this May personify UP’s commitment to teaching and learning, faith and formation, and service and leadership. They are brilliant, accomplished, and inspiring, and we can’t wait to welcome them to The Bluff.”
Undergraduate Commencement: Sunday, May 4, 11:00 a.m. at Chiles Center. Degrees conferred for UP’s Pamplin School of Business, School of Education, Shiley School of Engineering, School of Nursing & Health Innovations and College of Arts and Sciences. Speaker—Michael Eric Dyson, PhD
Commencement Weekend Ceremonies:
UNDERGRADUATE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER AND HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE — HUMANE LETTERS
Michael Eric Dyson, PhD is a distinguished professor, gifted writer, and media personality. He has taught at some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, including Princeton, Brown, and Georgetown, and is currently a Distinguished University Professor at Vanderbilt University—where he holds positions in both the College of Arts and Science and The Divinity School. Dr. Dyson has authored over 25 books, including seven New York Times bestsellers. Dr. Dyson is known for his thought-provoking insights on race, social justice, and contemporary culture. His books on figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Barack Obama have garnered widespread acclaim and sparked important conversations about race in America.
CHRISTUS MAGISTER MEDAL
Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.—Receiving the University’s highest honor, the Christus Magister Medal, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. served as the University of Notre Dame’s 17th president from 2005 to 2024. As president, Fr. Jenkins devoted himself to fostering the University’s unique place in academia, the Church, the United States, and the world. A philosopher trained in theology and a member of Notre Dame’s Department of Philosophy since 1990, Father Jenkins earned undergraduate and advanced degrees from Notre Dame, a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford, and a Master of Divinity and licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.
GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
Tim Morgan ’86, Chair of the University of Portland Board of Regents, has served as President and CEO of AAA Oregon/Idaho since 2014. A certified public accountant, Morgan joined AAA Oregon/Idaho in 2002 as EVP of Business Operations and Finance after holding CFO roles for Northwest Pump and Equipment Company and Portland Bottling Company. Morgan previously served as chair of the University’s National Alumni Board, and currently serves on the boards of American Commerce Insurance Company, Cambia Health Solutions, and the Arlington Club.
HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE – HUMANE LETTERS
Anthea Butler, PhD is Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought and chair of the department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. A historian of African American and American religion, Professor Butler’s research and writing spans African American religion and history, nationalism, race, politics, evangelicalism, gender and sexuality, media, and popular culture. Dr. Butler is the 2022 recipient of the Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion, given by the American Academy of Religion.
HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE – PUBLIC SERVICE
Joanne Pike, DrPH ’96 serves as President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association. She has dedicated her career to serving communities, ranging from local nonprofits to global voluntary health organizations, all in pursuit of improving quality of life for people and families. In this new era of Alzheimer's treatment and care, Dr. Pike is leading the Alzheimer's Association's efforts to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. In addition to her role with the Association, she serves as CEO of the Alzheimer's Impact Movement. She is the incoming chair of the World Dementia Council.
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